Virginia SOL 9.C.3.A
The Standard
Make strategic use of multimodal tools.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Integrating Multimodal Literacies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students select and combine words, images, audio, video, and layout to communicate a clear message. They match each choice to the purpose, audience, and format.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students create a clear message in which words, visuals, audio, and layout work together. They can explain each choice based on purpose, audience, clarity, and accessibility.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may add pictures, sound, or animation only for decoration. They may also use too many effects, choose unreadable designs, or include media that does not fit the audience or purpose.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short school announcement and ask them to add one visual or audio element. They must explain in one sentence how it improves the message.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a plain event flyer to revise using headings, images, color, and spacing, then require a reason for each change.
Ask students to compare two versions of a message and write which reaches the intended audience better, citing two design choices.
Play a card-matching game where students pair communication goals with tools such as charts, captions, narration, photographs, or music.
Have students create a social media post for a school club, choosing media that fits the platform, audience, and call to action.
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Printable 9.C.3.A Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 9.C.3.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 11.C.3.D
Ethically, purposefully, and strategically incorporate multimodal tools including the Internet and varying technology.
- 12.C.1.A.iv
Selecting and applying multimodal tools to design and develop presentation content appropriate for topic and purpose.
- 10.C.3.A
Make strategic use of multimodal tools, including using information from two or more interdependent modes of communication where both or multiple modes are esse...
- 4.C.3.B
Strategically use two or more interdependent modes of communication to convey the intended message and enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
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